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| The Pittsburgh Press, Sept. 11, 1925 |
Image: Newspapers.com
Friday, May 13, 2022
"An Open Letter to Harry Houdini"
Here's a curiosity from the September 11, 1925 Pittsburg Post. I'd love to know if this "Open Letter" was the sole idea of the Aldine Theater manager or something he and Houdini cooked up together as nice bit of cross promotion. Houdini was performing his "3 Shows in One" at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburg this week.
Did Houdini take Mr. Sidney up on his offer? Afraid I don''t know the answer, but I'm sure the medium-debunking theme of the movie would have met with his approval.
Despite being a work by Dracula and Freaks director Tod Browning, today Wikipedia calls The Mystic "a little-known film with a cast of now-forgotten names." However, the movie survives complete and can be viewed on YouTube.
This looks like it should have been a private letter, unless Mr. Sidney was promoting the film.
ReplyDeleteOh, I think this is all about promoting the film at his theater. I just wonder if this was his idea or something he and Houdini cooked up together as it works to promote them both.
DeleteMutual promotion has always been the order of the day. As for the film, it went quietly into the night. Hollywood can't predict a runaway hit so they throw a lot on the wall and see what sticks.
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